Gambit of Honor
by Boadicia
Summary: Continuation of Path of Blood Deanna returns with a present, but revealing anything else would be telling. Unfortunately, she brings something unpleasant with her.
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
"Come on. You're almost done. It's almost here." The demon placed its hand between the woman's legs. Its palm supported the top half of a baby's head. The woman screamed as another contraction seized her. "It's almost here," the demonic midwife repeated.

The woman leaned forward. With one final push, she felt the head slide out. The demon caught the baby and pulled it free. The woman heard it cry as the demon held it up. "It's a boy. A handsome one at that."

With eyes wide with fear, the woman watched the demon cradle the baby in its arms. "What are you doing to my baby?" "What you wouldn't let me do to your first one. Just relax. It's almost over." It waved its fingers over the baby's face. The baby inhaled a white sparkling mist that fell from the demon's fingers. Then the demon placed the baby on the woman's abdomen. In one clean swipe, it severed the umbilical cord with a claw. "Take him. He's yours, for now."

"What did you do to him?" the woman asked in a trembling voice.

"Shut up. Just take him home. Let him meet his family. I'll call for him when he's ready."

"You can't have him."

"You should have thought of that sooner."

(X)

Lilith Divinity Sparda gasped and sat up. She threw the bed sheets aside and rubbed her abdomen. "It was a dream." She reached for the glass on the dresser beside the bed. She took out the last piece of ice and chewed on it. She carried the glass downstairs to the kitchen. She was a bit startled to see light under the door. "He can't be up this early." She swung the door open. "What are you doing up?" she asked before she saw him. 

Dante was at the table with a plate of three sandwiches. One of them was in the process of being devoured. Dante mumbled something with a mouth full of bread, tomato, lettuce, and turkey.  
Lilith rolled her eyes. "Try saying that without the sandwich."

Dante swallowed and smiled. "I haven't eaten in almost two days, and you know people like us can't go hungry for long."

"Lovely." Lilith set the glass on the table and sat down. She reached for a sandwich, but Dante lightly slapped the back of her hand. "Okay. I'll make my own."

"Did you have another dream?" Dante asked as she opened the refrigerator.

"Yeah, but it still doesn't make any sense. Some woman giving birth."

"You don't have anything to tell me, do you?"

"No. It wasn't me."

"Better not be." A brown dog trekked into the kitchen and walked straight towards Dante. It placed its head on Dante's lap and whined. Dante scratched its head and dropped the rest of his sandwich to the floor. The dog leaned down to snack.

Lilith sat down again. "Why are you feeding Guess table food?"

"He's already spoiled. There's no point in forcing him to eat dog food anymore. He doesn't want it."

"Because you always give him table food."

"So?" Guess raised his head as if to beg for another sandwich. "Not today buddy," Dante teased.

Lilith tossed her sandwich onto the table and leaned her head against her palm. "I'm bored."

"Then go back to bed. I know I am."

Lilith leaned back as he stood to leave. "That's it? No spectacular midnight show?"

"Of what?"

"Well, you still owe me a Soul Calibur II rematch." Lilith coughed to cover her laugh as Dante cursed under his breath. Guess moved to her side of the table as soon as she lifted her sandwich. "Not in this lifetime," she said with a scowl.


	2. Tainted Love

Tainted Love  
  
The woman cradled the baby close to her chest. She covered the best she could at the expense of her own comfort. The freezing rain pelted her face. She shivered and wiped her nose with the back of her free hand. "Don't worry," she said to her son in her arms. "We're almost there. He'll save you. He always succeeds." The woman shivered again, but this time from uncertainty. What if the man she sought could not help her as she hoped? Shoving aside her own pessimism, she continued her trek through the freezing rain.

The baby squirmed and cried out. "Don't worry," the woman repeated. She lightly bounced the baby in her arms. Her fingers were almost numb. "How long have we been out here?" The baby's only response was another cry. "I know. I know. Just hold on." She continued down the road until she saw several lights down the street. They were lights in windows she recognized. "There it is," she assured the baby. "We made it."

(X)

Lilith placed the CD into the CD player and skipped it to the third song. Dante kneeled at the coffee table and opened a chessboard. "I call white."

Lilith turned on her heel. "Why? You said we'd choose by a coin toss."

"I lied."

Lilith kneeled on the other side of the table. "I'm starting to lose faith in you."

"I'm sad to hear you say that," he responded with a smile. As he reached for the first pawn, the doorbell rang.

"I don't believe this!" Lilith raised her hands in irritation. "Who in hell would come by? It's almost 3:00 in the morning."

"It doesn't matter. At a time like this it could be important."

"Like 'have you found Jesus' important?"

"Leave it to them to lose their deity." Dante slapped the table as he stood to answer the door. Lilith stared at the chess set for a moment before sliding a pawn. "Put it back!" Dante called into the room. Lilith sighed and knocked the pawn over.

"Hurry up," the woman muttered through chattering teeth. She raised her hand to push the bell again. At the same time, the door opened. 

"Can I help you?" Dante asked sarcastically.

The woman raised her face to stare him in the eye. "Yes, you can. The real question is whether or not you will." Dante opened his mouth to be sarcastic again until he recognized the woman.

"Will you ask me in," she said, "or let me freeze to death out here?"

Dante just stared for a moment. "I'm not quite sure what to say to you."

"Try this on for size." The woman placed the bundled baby against him as she shoved her way past him. "Say hello to your son."

"What!" The woman walked past him as he took the baby from her arms. "What the hell do you mean?"

The woman didn't look at him. "You know damn well what I mean. You were there."

"Will you hurry up!" Lilith called from the living room. "My chess pieces are getting cold!"

"Not now, Lilith!" Dante called back. "We have a problem!"

"Oh," the woman said. "Is that what I am now?"

"What the hell . . ." was all Lilith managed to say as she walked out of the living room. When her eyes met the woman's, she covered her mouth and muttered an oath.

The woman nodded at her. "It's nice to see you, too, my daughter."

Lilith and Deanna stared at each other for a few seconds. Lilith lowered her hand. "I never thought you'd come back."

"I almost didn't." Deanna opened her arms to invite an embrace. Lilith fell into them and nearly shivered from her cold skin. "Maybe we can get it right this time," Deanna said into her ear.

"Third time's the charm."

"Ahem!" Dante cleared his throat. "By all means, do not forget me over here."

Deanna and Lilith released each other. Deanna took the bundle from him and took it into the living room. She carefully set it onto the couch and unwrapped the top half. A baby boy with blue eyes and tufts of white hair stared back at her.

Dante leaned over her shoulder. "What are you doing with one of those?"

"Don't talk about him like he's just an object. This is your son. You can look at him and tell."

"Right."

"His name is Vergil."

She heard Dante suck in air. "Of all names in the world, why did you name him Vergil?"

"Why not? Your brother didn't have any copyright on his name, did he?"

"That's not the point!" He glanced down at the baby. For a moment he felt as if he would panic.

"I'm too old to have any more children."

Deanna straightened and tilted her head. "How old was Sparda when he had you and your brother? A few thousand?"

"That's not the point either! What is the point is that you suddenly disappeared and then some months later . . ."

"Nine months, to be exact . . ."

". . . you show up and expect me to just let you in."

"You didn't let me in. I walked past you."

"That's not the point!"

Dante's voice startled the baby into crying again. "Look what you've done," Deanna lightly scolded as she lifted the baby. "You scared little Vergil. Shame on you!"

"Shame on me?" Dante scratched his head as he watched Deanna take Vergil upstairs. "Where are you going?"

"If you don't mind," Deanna answered, "I would like to take a bath. Unless, of course, you object."

Dante waved his hand. "Go on, but you owe me one hell of an explanation later."

"Consider it done." Deanna practically skipped up the stairs.

When she was gone, Dante turned to his daughter. "What the hell just happened?"

Lilith shrugged. "Your idea is as good as mine."

Deanna lifted Vergil from the bathtub and carried him into Dante's room. Vergil was already asleep when she placed him onto the bed. She dried him off and slipped a dry towel around him. 

"This is an ugly situation," she whispered to him.

"Why is that?" Dante said behind her.

She didn't turn around. A bag of pampers flew past her head and landed on the other side of the bed. She struggled to find words that would make sense without sounding suspicious. "I know I should have come back sooner."

"No, you shouldn't have left at all."

"You're right, but you don't understand how I was feeling at the time. You were in Hell, and Lilith had run off to rescue you, though the only reason she went was because I convinced her."

Dante stood beside her. "You convinced her?"

"She would have given you up for dead. I don't know what she did in her room after we talked."

"Lilith is strange like that. Every day she seems to become stranger."

"It's Sparda, isn't it?"

Dante shrugged. "Stranger things have happened?"

"True." Deanna reached for the bag of pampers and pulled one out. She opened it up and slipped it under Vergil. "I don't suppose there is someone who can baby-sit Vergil for a while."

"Why?"

"I want to go out. Just you and me."

"Hell no."

Deanna closed the pamper tabs and stood straight. "Why not? Aren't you glad to see me?"

"Actually, I don't know."

"At least you're honest. At least, I hope you're honest." Deanna picked up Vergil. "I'll sleep downstairs with the baby tonight. Later we can discuss different arrangements, if you don't mind." She didn't give Dante a chance to respond. He merely watched her leave and wondered what she was up to.

(X)

"I can't believe you talked me into this." Lilith sipped her drink and slid it to the other side of the bar. "There is no way we'll find him in here." 

"You're not looking hard enough." Sharon took her own drink and finished it in one gulp.

"How would you know? I've been going here since I was too young to drink here. I know what I'm doing."

"So you say. I know your home life has recently gone topsy turvy again."

"That's not funny, Sharon. This is serious, and you don't know what's going on."

"I'm not implying you're a problem child, if that's what you mean."

"I'm not a child."

"Tell that to your father."

"He knows. He just doesn't want to admit it." Lilith reached for her second drink and lifted it halfway to her mouth before dropping it. It shattered as it fell against the bar. Half of the pieces fell to the floor. "I found him," she muttered through clenched teeth, "and I'm going to kill him." She slapped her hand against the bar and marched towards the entrance.

Sharon rubbed her hands together. "This is gonna be good!" She ran after Lilith and grabbed Lilith's arm. "What's wrong? See something you don't like?"

"Let me go." Lilith jerked her arm free, but Sharon grabbed it again.

"What is the matter with you? Who are you preparing to kill?" Lilith merely tilted her head towards one of the couples that entered the club. When Sharon saw who they were, she instantly released Lilith. "He's gonna die."

She followed a few feet behind Lilith as Lilith continued her march towards the couple. Lilith tapped the man on his shoulder to get his attention. When he turned to face her, she punched him in the face. The blow knocked him to the floor.

"What the fuck!" the man yelled as he sat up. When he saw who hit him, he suddenly became friendlier. "Lilith? What the hell are you doing here?"

Lilith folded her arms. "I could ask you the same thing, Jeremy."

Jeremy held his arm out as he picked himself up. "It's not what you think. Honestly. I swear."

Lilith turned to the woman Jeremy brought with him. "Is that true?" Lilith asked.

The woman watched Lilith punch her right fist into her left palm. After a few seconds, she waved to Jeremy. "I don't know him," she said weakly while backing away. "I just followed him so I could get in for free." She turned and ran in the opposite direction as fast as her pumps would allow.

Lilith turned back to Jeremy. She was still punching her left hand. "Is that true?"

"Sure." Lilith punched him in the gut. He fell to one knee. "Okay. Maybe I need to explain a few things to you."

"If I ever see you again," Lilith shouted, "I will kill you." Lilith shoved past Sharon and headed back towards the bar. She stopped again as another shocking image caught her eye. This time, she cringed and tried to gasp, but the air got caught in her throat. "I'm not seeing this."

"What's wrong with you now?" Sharon asked with poorly hidden sarcasm. This time, Lilith gave no indication of what she was looking at. Lilith walked towards the dance floor to get a closer look. As always, Sharon was right behind her. This time, she was concerned. "Lilith, you are truly freaking me out? What's wrong?"

Lilith only looked straight ahead. Sharon followed her line of vision until she saw what shocked Lilith into silence. Lilith's father was out there, but this time, he hadn't come to punish her for underage drinking.

"Hey," Sharon asked, "isn't that your dad out there?"

"Yep," Lilith responded.

"With a woman?"

"Yep."

"Dancing?"

"Uh- huh."

"Who is she?"

Lilith leaned towards Sharon. "My mom."

"Aw, I think that's so cute."

Lilith lifted a finger for emphasis. "That is not cute. It's disturbing. They were a little less than friendly just a few hours ago."

"And this is their way of apologizing. I think it's romantic."

"Maybe, but who has the baby?"

(X)

Vergil cried as the red headed woman placed him carefully against her shoulder. She patted him on the back to induce a burp. Vergil complied, but the woman didn't realize it didn't go as expected until she felt the warm milk drip down her back. Maintaining a stoic mien, she placed Vergil on the couch and wiped his mouth.

"Your father owes me big time," she said to Vergil. He gave no indication of hearing her. "Why are you so quiet?" She prepared herself for a nightmare of dirty diapers, but it was in vain. She gasped and took one step back as Vergil leaned forward and seized her arm.


	3. Tainted Blood

Tainted Blood  
  
"That was the first time I've gone out in years, and this time I did it for the right reasons." Deanna lowered the visor and reapplied her lipstick in the mirror. "I guess you think about these things after you've been dead." She lifted the visor and hit the skip button on the CD player. Evanescence began singing about love and being taken over.

Lilith sighed in the backseat. Deanna turned in her seat. "Are you upset about something?"

Lilith eyed her mother cautiously. "What makes you think that?"

"A better question," Dante interjected, "is what you were doing at that club?"

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "I'm grown."

"We know, dear," Deanna said with a smirk, "but you weren't there to have fun. If you were, then seeing your father and me wouldn't have warranted your unprofessional response. It's not everyday I get pushed and yelled at just for wanting to have fun, especiallly by my own daughter."

"Sorry." Lilith shrugged. "I was just worried about the baby."

Deanna turned forward and rolled her eyes. "Vergil is fine."

"You named him Vergil!"

"Lilith!" Dante called. "Just answer the question."

"What question?"

"What caused you to act the way you did. You were pissed at something, and it wasn't at us."

"How do you know?" she asked snobbishly. She saw Dante glare at her through the rear view mirror. "Jeremy was there."

"Jeremy?" Deanna thought for a moment. "I remember him. Are you two still dating?"

"No. I dumped him ten minutes ago."

"So, he's the one who pissed you off. What did he do?"

"A friend tipped me off. I went there to see for myself. I caught him with another woman."

Dante and Deanna gasped at the same time. "Don't kill him," Deanna said. "He's not worth it. He doesn't know what kind of whipping you're capable of giving him."

"Please. He doesn't even know what I do for a living."

"Good. Speaking of jobs, I wonder if I can become a model again."

"No. They all think you're dead."

"Damn."

(X)

He opened the door and stared at the clothes that hung there. They all appeared to be his size, which had changed dramatically within the last hour, much to the surprise of the redhead who was babysitting him. He reached for a black shirt and held it against himself to estimate the fit.  
He spoke for the first time. "Perfect."

(X)

Lilith reached the door first. It was unlikely she wouldn't; Dante and Deanna were lagging behind for a chance to talk in private. Lilith unlocked it and flung the door open. The person she saw inside made her stop, drop her keys, and stare in both horror and awe.

The man before her smiled. She recognized his face somehow. She recognized his clothes and the large flaming red sword on his back. Lilith remained perfectly still as he raised his hands to gently touch her face. His familiar eyes blinked several times before he spoke. His voice was inviting but dark, as if it were hiding something. "Hello, sister."

Lilith opened her mouth, but the scream was never released. His gentle touch was suddenly painful as he began to squeeze her head. With her head still in his hands, he pivoted and pushed her against the wall. "Hold your tongue if you wish to keep it in your mouth."

"What are you?" she whispered.

"You know," he said calmly. "I am all that you see before you, sister." He ran one hand carefully across her face. He ran his fingers through her hair and rested his palm against her forehead. Lilith felt something push into her mind. She lost all ability to resist as she suddenly saw memories flash. Each memory was older than the one before. She saw the first time she transformed under the influence of Sparda's Sorrow, the last time she played on her father's drum set, her father lowering her dying body into the frozen lake, and several more as they rewound into her childhood. The memories pushed further back until she began to see those she didn't know were still there. Finally, she saw a memory that changed the man's manner again.

(X)

Lilith lay quietly in her crib. She yawned and stuck her fist into her mouth. Her knuckles seemed somewhat juicy, especially since her first tooth was already poking through her gum. She yawned again and closed her eyes. Before she could fall asleep, she was alerted by the sound of the nursery door opening. She gazed up to see her father standing over her.

"This is a first," he whispered as he slid his gloves off. "You're awake for once." He picked her up and held her against his shoulder. She took a deep whiff of his hair and yawned again. He opened the curtains to let in the first rays of the sunrise. "Look at that," he said as he turned her around. She squinted against the sunlight until her eyes adjusted. She gawked and reached up to touch the purples, oranges, reds, and yellows in the sky.

(X)

"Stop!" Lilith managed to scream. The man pulled his hand away. The memories disappeared. Lilith slouched slightly against the wall.

He stared at her. His eyes betrayed his bewilderment. "He, he loves you, doesn't he? Does he love me, too?"

Lilith shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't truly understand the question. The previous seconds left her dazed. "No," she said without realizing the question she was answering.

"Why would he?"

The man was silent as if to contemplate her response. He placed his hands around her throat, but he never got the chance to do what he intended.

"Lilith!" Dante called at the door. "What are you . . ." The words died as he saw the stranger. The man released Lilith and let her fall to the floor. "What the hell are you doing!"

The man turned slowly. His head was tilted down, but his eyes were looking straight at Dante and Deanna. "Don't you know me?"

Dante recognized the man was wearing his clothes. He was more disturbed by the fact that this person had his father's sword. He deliberately ignored that this man bore a striking resemblance to him. "No, I don't. Should I?"

The man lifted his head. He glanced at Deanna before speaking. "Mom. Dad. Don't you recognize your own son?"

Deanna shook her head. "No. No. No. It's not. It can't be."

Dante was more straightforward. "Vergil?"

"Yes."

"No," Dante responded. "Give me that sword. Now."

Vergil narrowed his eyes. "Why should I? I have every right to it. It's my grandfather's sword."

"It's my father's sword!" Dante fought the urge to yell. "You have no right to it. Give it to me."

Vergil placed a hand on the hilt. "Lilith has used the sword. What makes her more worthy of it?"

"Lilith is infused with Sparda's essence. You are not."

Vergil pulled the sword around and rushed forward as if to impale Dante. He stopped right before the tip of the sword could pierce his throat. Dante didn't even blink. Vergil scowled with defiance. "If you want this sword, you'll have to pry from my dead hands."

Dante's response was a single word. "Easy."

"No!" Deanna seized Dante's arm as if she feared he'd lash out. "You mustn't."

"Who are you to speak!" Vergil demanded as he pointed Sparda towards her. "It's your fault that I was denied!"

"No, that's not true!"

Vergil lowered the sword and threw himself at her. Just as his hands reached her, he was engulfed in ice. In an instant, his skin turned light blue. He dropped the sword and screamed. He recovered in time to grab the sword again and fell backwards through the door. Dante pushed Deanna aside and stepped outside. Vergil stood and shook off the last of the ice crystals.

"Do we have to do this the hard way?" Dante asked.

"Don't patronize me," Vergil spat. He lifted the sword again. "You won't keep me from fulfilling my destiny."

"You won't fulfill it like this."

"That's your own ignorant opinion." Vergil stabbed the sword into the ground. A flaming spark shot out from the sword hilt and up Vergil's arm. "If you won't give me what I want, then I will have to take it." Dante watched in silence as the flame enveloped Vergil from head to toe. Vergil pulled Sparda from the ground, and the flame died, taking Vergil and the sword with it. Dante stared at the spot Vergil stood for a few seconds before turning back to the house.

He slammed the door behind him. "What the hell just happened!"

The qustion was obviously directed at Deanna. "Don't blame this on me. I don't know any more than you do."

"Why do I find that difficult to believe?" The sound of something falling caught their attention. Lilith had fallen against the wall again. Her hand was still covered in the ice she shot Vergil with. Deanna and Dante each took an arm and hoisted her over to the couch.

Lilith massaged her hand as the ice quickly melted. "Mom, was that the same baby you were just putting a diaper on just a few hours ago?"

"I don't know. Who else could it be?"

"Matier will have our heads."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh no," Dante suddenly realized. "The babysitter."  
Lilith was distracted by the sound of whining and scratching. "I bet I know where to find her." She followed the whining to the nearest closet and opened the door. Guess ran out past her and curled up next to the couch. Lilith didn't notice. She saw a redhead swinging from closet ceiling. "I found her!"

She moved aside to let Dante grab Lucia and pull her down. He stretched her across the couch and searched for a pulse. Without indicating whether or not he found a heartbeat, he stared up at Deanna and scowled. "What did you do?"

"What?" Deanna folded her arms and returned the scowl. "Don't you dare try to place this on me. What is wrong with you?"

Dante stood straight. "You birthed that creature. What happened to him to make him like that?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"Well, in case you forgot, I didn't have him by myself."

"Will you two shut the hell up?" Lilith didn't look up to see their expressions. She leaned forward to touch Lucia's face. A green slime oozed from the side of her mouth. Lilith let some of it touch her finger. A burning agony shot from her finger up through her arm. She pulled her arm back and slung the ooze across the carpet. She held her hand to massage the pain away. "There is no way she would have survived that." She ran into the kitchen and ran cold water over her hand.  
Deanna followed her into the kitchen. "Let me see that." She grabbed Lilith's hand. "There's no wound on it. What happened?"

"Something came out of her mouth."

"What was it?"

Lilith pulled her hand away. "Don't worry about it. I'm more concerned about the mess in the living room."

"Mess is definitely the right word."

"What happened to him?"

Deanna turned towards the door as if to leave. "What do you mean?"

"How did he jump from newborn to adult in only a few hours?"

"I know no more about it than you do. I swear." Before Lilith could say anything, Deanna left the kitchen. "We'll talk no more of this."

As she watched her mother leave, Lilith suddenly remembered the dream she had the night before. "Maybe it wasn't me having that baby after all."


	4. Skeletons in the Closet

Skeletons in the Closet  
  
Lilith inhaled deeply as she lay on her stomach. Her spine protested slightly as she slowly lifted her legs above her head. She breathed deeply and held the position for nearly an hour. The doorbell caused her eyes to snap open. She fell over before standing.

The door opened before she made it to the hallway. She stopped to stare at the person who walked in, then flashed him her middle finger and turned back to the living room to start tai chi.

"Lilith!" Jeremy called. He followed her to the living room. "Will you talk to me?"

"No."

Jeremy dared to grab her arm and turn her around. "Listen to me!"

Lilith pulled her arm free. She waved her finger menacingly. "Don't you ever put your hands on me again."

"Lilith!" Dante called from upstairs. "What are you doing!"

"Why!" Lilith called back.

"You're agitated!"

"Says who!"

"My father!"

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Oh, crap."

"What does that mean?" Jeremy asked.

"None of your business." Lilith stormed into the kitchen and returned with a handfull of paper towels. He watched her race upstairs. When he heard the door close, he crept upstairs and listened for voices. He heard Lilith's voice from her father's room. He slid closer to the door to hear what they were saying.

"Be careful," he heard Lilith say. "You'll get it all over the carpet."

"Worse yet, it's not even mine."

"Sure it is." There was some rustling. "What's up?"

"Something pissed you off. What happened?"

There was silence. "Jeremy's here."

"Talk to him."

"Are you out of your mind?"

"It might not be what you think."

Jeremy took that as his cue. He pushed the door open. "He's right."

Lilith and Dante glared at him slowly. Deanna was napping on the bed. Dante lowered the bloody paper towels from his face. "What are you doing up here?"

Jeremy stared in a daze at the bloody smears on Dante's face. "Go downstairs," Dante demanded. "Lilith, you too."

"Right." Lilith pinched Jeremy to get his attention. He followed her back to the living room downstairs. Lilith sat on the nearest couch. In a moment of foresight, Jeremy sat on the one opposite her. "What do you want?" Lilith began.

"I came to apologize."

"Well, you've apologized. Now get out."

"No. You don't understand. Let me explain."

Lilith shrugged. "Go ahead."

"The night you saw me at the club, it was nothing. I swear."

"What were you doing there with another woman?"

"We're just friends. We were hanging out. I promise, that's all that happened."

"You never did anything like that with me. You never took me out anywhere."

"I couldn't. You were always out somewhere with your dad. Half the time you weren't even in the country."

"Then why are you still here?"

"I want to change things between us."

"Starting with you not taking other women out."

"Something like that." Jeremy dared to slide across the floor and kneeled beside her. "Marry me."

Lilith immediately sat up and backed to the other side of the couch. "No." Before Jeremy could respond, she added, "there are more things about me you don't know than things you do. Things you don't want to know. We shouldn't even be together."

Jeremy's brow wrinkled. "I don't understand."

"If you did, you'll wish you didn't."

"Why? Just answer me that. I deserve to know."  
Lilith curled on the couch. "Just knowing my family history would be enough to send you running. I can't even tell you that."

"What?" Jeremy asked sarcastically. "Is your father a criminal?"

"I already told you, no." When Jeremy didn't say anything, she finally said, "He's a demon." The sarcasm instantly died. Jeremy looked at her as if he thought she were insane. "Actually," she continued, "he's a half-demon. His father is the demon."

Jeremy inched closer to Lilith and placed the back of his hand against Lilith's forehead. "Are you all right?"

Lilith slapped his hand away. "I'm not sick."

"How do you expect me to believe a story as bogus as that?"

"I don't, which is why I told it to you."

"Why don't you just tell me the truth?"

"I did. All those times I disappeared with my father, we were chasing after some demon. He's been doing it since before I was born. I've been in training since I was six."

"Why six?"

"That's when I sprouted my first pair of wings."

Jeremy continued staring at her. Then he pat her head, stood, and left. When she heard the front door close, Lilith let loose a high pitched cackle. As if he were expecting this, Dante slowly descended the stairs and entered the living room.

"What happened?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Lilith, please don't play with me. I am not in the mood."

"I told him the truth. About us. He didn't believe me, so he just walked out."

"Why did you tell him about us?"

"Because I knew he wouldn't believe it."

"Knowing that, why did you tell him anyway? Were you trying to get rid of him?"

"I caught him with another woman. What do you expect?"

Dante dropped himself onto the couch Jeremy had sat in moments before. "What happened down here?"

Lilith ran her tongue over her teeth. "When your mother gave birth to you and your brother, did she know your father's true nature?"

"She knew at some point."

"But did she know then?"

"I don't know. Why?"

Lilith inhaled deeply. "Jeremy asked me to marry him."

Dante slouched into the couch. "I see. That's why you told him."

"I don't think he'll be back."

"Do you want him back?"

"That's irrelevant. I don't think he'll want this kind of life."

"He doesn't know what he's missing."

(X)

Vergil held the sword Sparda under the light of the torches. The sword felt cold in his hands, as if it were dead. In truth, he knew there was life in it, but it refused to answer to him. "I will bend you to my will. I swear it."

"No," the demon in front of him said. "The sword is not yours. It doesn't belong to you. It will never answer you."

"I am the grandson of Sparda. I have a right to it."

"No, you don't. You were not properly cultivated of Sparda's blood."

"I'm his grandson!"

"So? What do I care?" The demon glanced at the sword, then sat on a large chair. The chair was constructed from several large bones, none of which were human. The skull of a great draconic beast rested over the back of the chair. "Come here."

Vergil kneeled at the demon's feet. The demon touched Vergil's head. "I knew you would want something like this. I knew the moment I pulled you from between your mother's legs. You'll never be happy."

"Yes, I will." Vergil placed his head on the demon's legs. "I will always be happy with you."

"Of course. What shall we do?"

"Whatever you wish."

"You know what I want. Bring it to me. My patience is short lived."

"I shall go back then, and I will return with him."

The demon pushed Vergil's head away. "How stupid do you think he is? He will never follow you here."

"No, but he will follow another. One he loves."

The demon snorted. "Your mother would not have the nerve to come here."

Vergil smirked. "It's not her I'm speaking of."

(X)

"What are we going to do?"

Dante didn't look up from the television. "What do you mean?"

"Mom's hiding something from us. About Vergil. Something must have happened while he was being born."

"Why do you say that?"

"Don't you remember the dream I kept having? The one where I was giving birth, and a demon was midwifing me? What if I was dreaming about Mom and Vergil?"

"Well, keeping secrets is something your mother does best."

Lilith snatched a magazine from the table and slung it at him. "Can't you be serious about anything?"

"I am serious. Your mother does keep secrets. I know something is wrong, but I can't fix it if I don't know what it is."

"Maybe you can't fix it anyway."

"That's for me to decide. Not you. Not your mother."

(X)

Jeremy slammed the apartment door. He threw his car keys onto the table. He was still cursing since his talk with Lilith. After what she told him, he didn't know whether to laugh at her or have her committed.

"I don't know what I ever saw in her. I guess I should have told her the truth about that girl at the club."

His stopped long enough to glance at the telephone. If he picked it up, should he call Lilith or the other girl? He picked up the receiver, held it in midair for several seconds, then put it back on the hook. He picked it up again, then put down again. His heart felt as if it would explode if he didn't do something.

"I need a sandwich." His trek to the refridgerator was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Now what!" He threw his coat aside before opening the door. He glanced at the person for only a second before he felt something sharp pierce his chest.

(X)

Deanna rolled over and stared at the moon through the window. A cold breeze blew snow across the view. Dante sighed behind her. She didn't know whether to wake him or leave him alone. She slowly began to rock back and forth on the bed. He didn't wake up. In an effort to make it seem unintentional, she swung her arm around and smacked him across the face. She recoiled just as he sat up. When he realized what happened, he simply lay down and closed his eyes again.

Frustrated, Deanna poked his shoulder. He moaned in response. She poked him harder. He finally opened his eyes, but looked at the ceiling. "What?"

"How can you sleep at a time like this?"

"How can I not? If I don't get enough sleep, I get incredibly unmanageable. You know that."

"Aren't you worried?"

"About what?"

"About Vergil?"

Dante opened his eyes. "It's not easy to be worried about something when I don't even know what it is."

"So, you're just going to ignore it and hope it goes away? That's not like you."

"No, but there is nothing else I can do. I have no information, and the one person who does won't give it to me."

Deanna knew the accusation was aimed at her. "What can I tell you?"

Dante gazed at her. "Maybe you can tell me how a newborn baby became a full grown man in only a few hours."

"I wish I could, but I can't."

"Has Lilith talked to you about her dream?"

"No. What about it?"

"Before you came back, she dreamed about giving birth. A demon was attending her. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Deanna tried her best to shrug while lying down. "Not a clue." She knew he didn't believe her.

He sat up to leave, but Deanna grabbed his wrist. "I know what you're thinking."

"Does anyone have a hold on you this time?"

"No, but they have a hold on our son."

Dante snatched his arm away. "I am tired of playing games with you."

"It was never a game. I can't control what comes my way."  
The silence frightened her. She turned back towards the window and curled into a fetal position.

"First Lineia," Dante said, "then Raynok and Kerlak. Who is it this time?"

"I don't know."

She felt Dante staring at her in disbelief. "What?"

"I don't know whom it was. He wouldn't give me his name, but he came to me just as I went into labor. I was alone, confused, and scared. He said he knew you."

"He knew me? Did he say how?"

"Not really. He said that he knew your parents and your brother. Naming the baby Vergil was his idea."

"He knew my parents and brother? Was he a demon?"

"Yes. After Vergil was born, he did something to the baby. I don't know what, but it looked like he was pouring something over him."

"I would expect a demon to know my father, but how would he know my mother and brother unless it was after their fall?"

Deanna rolled over to looked at him. "He said he was there when it happened."


	5. Pleas in the Dark

Pleas in the Dark  
  
Vergil leaned over Jeremy's sleeping body and touched his forehead. Jeremy slowly opened his eyes. He inhaled a cold breeze that blew through the nonexistant ceiling. Jeremy found himself staring at a starry sky.

"I'm glad you survived," was all Vergil said before turning away.

"Survived what?" Jeremy sat up and shivered. He realized it was freezing cold. He was sitting on an elevated slab of marble. "Where am I?"

"Don't worry," Jeremy said. He walked towards a large stone statue. Its head peered easily over the walls towards whatever lay beyond. "It won't be cold for long. You won't notice when we return you to your true self."

"Okay." Jeremy folded his arms. "You've lost me."

"I know you don't remember. How old are you?"

"What?"

"How old are you?" Vergil repeated.

"Why are you asking such a stupid question?"

"Your father says it will help you remember who you are."

"My father? What the hell is going on? Who are you?"

"Sensible questions." Vergil seized Jeremy's arm and pulled him towards the statue. "You've obviously been spending too much time on Earth with humans. You actually believe you are one."

Jeremy snatched his arm free. "What the hell is going on!"

Vergil shook his head in iritation. "My name is Vergil. I am the son of Dante, son of Sparda, and Deanna Min Ná, former empress of Shangri- La."

"You're Lilith's brother?"

"Yes."

"Why haven't I heard of you before?"

"That doesn't matter."

Jeremy grabbed Vergil's arm to maintain his attention. "What are Sparda and Shangri-La?"

"Have you heard of them before?"

"No, but I've heard stranger things. Lilith actually told me that her grandfather was a demon. Isn't that crazy?"

"Sparda. That would be my grandfather."

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah." He waited to receive an explanation.

"He was the one who rebelled against his master in Hell."

Jeremy's jaw dropped. "What did you say?"

"Over two millinia ago, he rebelled against his master in Hell. He defended the Earth against the legions of hell, and now his son and granddaughter wish to continue that legacy. I'm a bit of a disappointment to them."

Jeremy remained silent. Vergil looked at him. "Let me guess. You don't believe me. Maybe if you heard it from someone else, you won't be so stubborn."

"Lilith told me something like that earlier. I didn't believe her either."

"Then maybe you'll believe your father."

(X)

Lilith leaned over the pool table and lined up her shot. The eight ball blocked the one shot she needed. "I don't think you can make it," Dante chided.

"I've made this shot a million times."

"But you're not focused. You won't make it."

Lilith pulled her cue back as she prepared to make the shot. A knock at the door was distraction enough. Instead of making the ball bounce over the eight ball as she intended, it hit the eight ball and careened to the side. Dante fought the urge to said, "Told you."

"Whoever it is," he called, "we're open!"

Jeremy let himself into the office. Dante and Lilith stared at him as if he'd tried to kill them. Then Lilith responded, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Before Jeremy could answer, Dante moved to place his cue onto the table. "I should probably go for a walk."

"Don't," Lilith said casually. "You might want to here this. I have nothing to hide."

Dante shrugged. At the same time he prepared to make a shot, Jeremy said, "I saw Vergil."

Dante hit the ball the wrong way. It flew over the side of the table, bounced, and rolled until it hit the wall.

Dante straightened. "What did you say?"

Jeremy looked at Dante. "I saw your son."

"I have no son."

This time it was Lilith who looked at her father. Jeremy almost smiled. "You do have a son. He came to me. He really wants to see you."

"Why should I see him?"

"Don't you want your father's sword back?"

"Do I have to take it from him, or will he give it back nicely?"

"That depends on you."

"Jeremy," Lilith called. "Why would he go to you? Why didn't he come back to us instead? What do you have to do with this?"

"He told me about your family." Jeremy smiled at Lilith. "He confirmed everything you said about your father and grandfather."

"What about my grandfather's sword?"

"He'll give it to you on one condition." He looked at Dante again. "He will give it to Lilith, and only Lilith. He refuses to give it to you."

Dante narrowed his eyes. "You can't honestly believe she would go anywhere near him alone."

"Of course not. He expects you to follow."

"In other words," Lilith added, "it's a trap."

"I have nothing to do with that."

"Do you honestly expect us to believe what you just told us? Why would we go with you anywhere?"

"Do you want the sword or not?"

"I want that sword," Dante said through clenched teeth.

"Is it worth it?" Lilith blurted. "No mere sword is worth this."

Dante turned his glare to her. "It's not a mere sword. It is the only thing my father left me."

"No, it's not. Even if it were, is it still worth it?"

Jeremy repeated, "Do you want the sword or not?"

Lilith answered, "No!"

At the same time, Dante answered, "Yes!" Before Lilith could say anything, Dante repeated,

"Yes!"

"All right!" Lilith conceded. "We have to settle things with Vergil anyway. He has a lot of explaining to do."

"Will you try to kill him?"

"That depends on him."

Lilith took a last look at Dante before walking out. Jeremy returned Dante's glare. "I will take where she needs to go. You can follow tomorrow morning. If you catch us too soon, he'll kill her."

"I'm not worried."

(X)

Lilith inhaled deeply. The frigid air drove away the fatigue that began to feed on her. She kneeled alone in the snow as if in prayer, but her eyes were open. It was dusk, but she couldn't see what was left of the sunlight. She was surrounded by a giant circle of stone in an arena with no spectators. She waited here for nearly an hour.

"Lilith?" She stood and saw Jeremy standing before her. Vergil stood in the distance. She could see the red glint of Sparda, but it seemed to have no life. It didn't appear to have its normal flaming red essence. "Are you ready?"

"What's to be ready for?"

"You never know."

"You can't kill me. You know that." Lilith walked past him towards Vergil. She didn't stop until she stood a foot away from him. "You have something that belongs to me."

"It belongs to our family," Vergil responded.

Lilith almost winced. She still was not used to Vergil as her brother. "Give me the sword. Now."

Vergil stuck the tip of the sword into the snow and the ground underneath. It remained upright. "Let's talk first."

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Of course we do. We are family."

"You know nothing of what's going on. You're supposed to be an infant."

"No. This is the real me. Being conceived between Dante and Deanna was merely to provide a vessel for something greater."

"Now the truth comes out."

"You have no idea." Vergil removed the sword from the ground. He pointed it to the sky. "My Lord, come forth."

Lilith felt an ominous lump in her stomach. She backed away from Vergil until she heard crackling above her. She looked up and saw bright red orbs descending into the circle. They circled around Vergil. Moments later, a red flame emitted from the tip of the sword. Lilith was frozen in awe and horror as Vergil pointed it at her. When she finally decided to move, Jeremy seized her from behind. Both of them were covered in a blast of red light.

(X)

It was the first time Dante handled the sword in several months. He carefully unwrapped it and held it next to the window. The moonlight glinted off the cold metal. He skillfully swung it around to get a feel for it.

"What are you doing?" Deanna asked behind him.

"I'm preparing."

"You'll try to kill him, won't you."

"Yes. If Lilith isn't all right, then I'll kill him anyway."

"Are you so sure he would betray you?"  
Dante spun to face her. Deanna felt herself shrink away at the sight of the sword. "How can you be so certain he would not? He is not a normal child."

"Were you?"

"That's different. I lived out my childhood normally. He reached adulthood in a few hours. Then you say his birth was attended to by a demon. Why shouldn't I be worried?"

"I didn't say you shouldn't."

"He has my father's sword. I have to get that back. He doesn't deserve it."

"It's his grandfather's."

"He's not worthy!" They were both frightened by the power of his voice. "I know what you're thinking."

"If he were still a baby, would you still hate him?"

"I don't hate him, but I don't trust him, especially considering the circumstances of his birth."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it."

There was some silence. "If he were still a baby," Dante said, "we wouldn't be in this situation, but I would still try to discover who was with you, and why."

"You think he was corrupted."

"I know he was."

"It's mostly about the sword, though. Isn't it?"

"What if it is? It's the only thing I have to remind me of my father. It's the only thing he left me."

"What about that sword in your hand? I've never seen it before."

"It's Lilith's. He left it for her. The red sword is mine."

"Where did it come from?"

"We don't know. It just showed up one night during one of her possessions."

"What's it called?" Dante didn't answer. "You're not leaving without me."

Dante stopped swinging the sword. "You're insane."

"They're my children, too. I want to be there. I won't get in the way, but I need to be there."

"No way. No how."

"You can't leave me here."

"I can and I will."

Deanna wanted to make a scene, but she decided it wasn't wise. "When did he say to leave?"

"In the morning."

"So when are you leaving?"

"In a few minutes."

(X)

Lilith picked herself off the floor. She was inside a large room, or at least thought she was. Part of the ceiling was gone. In the center of the room was a large statue. It was the image of a man from the waist and up. "Now what?"

"This is where my journey began," Vergil said, "and this is where yours will end."

Lilith felt the urge to wipe her mouth. "Why is that?"

"I'm sure our father is on his way. You wouldn't come alone if you didn't think you had a backup."

"So?"

Vergil swung Sparda over his shoulder. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Our father. Why does he deny me?"

"You're not real. You're a child in a man's body, and there is always the question of the midwife. Not to mention, you stole his sword. Then there is Lucia."

"Oh, please." Vergil swung Sparda around and turned his back to her. Lilith reached for Tiamat.

"Let's drop the weapons."

Lilith was taken aback. Her hand dropped sligthly. "What do you mean?"

"I know we're going to fight. Let's do it hand to hand. Nothing else."

"Drop the sword."

Vergil smiled as he lowered Sparda to the floor. Lilith's ears caught a sound behind her. She turned on her heel to catch a glimpse of Jeremy running towards her. Her curiosity instantly became terror when she saw the hooked sword he was brandishing. In that moment she understood what she should have suspected when he showed up with a message from Vergil; he was somehow under an influence. She ran towards him. Before he was close enough to swing at her, she ducked and tripped him. He flew over her head. Lilith backed away while waiting for his next move. Jeremy stood to face her.

Lilith gasped when she saw the sword protruding from his chest. She watched him pull it free. There was no blood.

"What has he done to you?"

"He woke me up."

Lilith shook her head with a disturbing realization. She didn't have time to ask questions. Jeremy ran towards her again. Preparing herself, Lilith dodged the sword. She kicked it from his hands. She caught it and threw it at him. A beam of light seared through it and knocked it off course. It bounced off the wall and slid across the floor.

All eyes turned to the source of the beam. The statue released a long deep sigh. "Now, child," it said slowly to Lilith, "I couldn't let you put my son in danger. What kind of father do you take me for?"

"His father?" Lilith looked back at Jeremy. "What are you? All this time?"

Jeremy took one step towards her. "Stay back," Lilith threatened. When he took another step, Lilith transformed. Six leathery wings opened from her back. Curved spikes pushed through the sides of her arms. Flames erupted from her hands.

"You're more beautiful like this," Jeremy said. "The way you were meant to be." Lilith didn't let the comment distract her. With one push of her wings, she flipped and hovered over him.

"Lilith!" Vergil called behind her. She turned in the air and nearly dropped when she saw Vergil in the air in front of her. "You're not the only one." Lilith threw a blast of fire at him. At the same time, he punched her in the chest. They flew away from each other and hit the opposite walls. Simultaneously they recovered and flew towards each other. Jeremy watched as they clashed in the air. One powerful knock pushed Lilith to the floor. The impact knocked her back to human form.

"Had enough?" Jeremy dared to ask. Lilith lifted her head, but not to look at Jeremy. He stared at the streams of blood that ran from her eyes. With a fresh burst of power, Lilith launched herself into the air and hit her devil trigger. A shower of electricity filled the room as Lilith let herself go. Jeremy and the talking statue watched silently.

Lilith felt herself fill with bloodlust and frenzy. She pummelled Vergil with her fists, feet, and elements. In the heat of battle, she flipped higher into the air and slammed into Vergil. Together they plummetted to the floor. The impact left a small crater and cracks along the stone floor.  
Jeremy and the statue watched as Vergil and Lilith returned to their human forms. The energy of the impact did not seem to damage the floor at first. Then a small tremor told the true tale. A part of the floor fell away to leave the room split in half.

Lilith breathed heavily as she sat astride Vergil's chest. Vergil struggled to take his next breath, but he was in better shape than Lilith. Lilith looked down to see why breathing was so difficult. A gold dagger handle with red and green gems was protruding from between her ribs. She felt a burning sensation from the wound. She fell over but couldn't get up. Her body felt like lead.  
With a smile on his face, Vergil sat astride her chest. He pulled the dagger free. Vergil's laughter blended into her screams. "How does it feel?" Vergil asked.

Lilith tried to respond, but her chest was too heavy. "Do you think you're dying?" Vergil continued. "Well, you are. Now you will share Lucia's fate. No demonic blood can save you from it."


	6. The Ties That Bind

The Ties that Bind  
  
Dante peered down into the hole in the roof. The room was well lit, but he couldn't make out what was inside. After deciding the hole was large enough, he stepped forward and dropped himself through it. He landed behind the stone statue. He stepped around to get a good look at the environment. He saw a large crevice in the middle of the room. Two people sat on the floor on the other side. He approached the crevice but didn't bother jumping over it.

Both people noticed him, but only one stood to greet him. "I was wondering when you'd get here. You left earlier than you were supposed to, but you didn't get here in time to interfere. Just so you know, I held true to my threats."

"Really? Where is Lilith?"

Vergil's only response was a simple shrug. Jeremy began giggling as if he were drunk. Dante ignored him. "Look for her!" Jeremy called.

"How dare you get involved!" Dante challenged. "All these years you played with my daughter's emotions. Why the hell are you here?"

"I came home. You've met my father."

"What?"

Jeremy giggled again. Vergil shook his head. "Ignore him. He's not right in the head. He needs a few moments."

Dante lost what little patience he had. "Where is my daughter!"

Jeremy stood. For the first time since Dante's known him, he had the mien of something truly threatening. "Look for her!" He was in such a rage that he drooled with each word. "Look for her!"

Sensing that things were getting out of control, Dante withdrew Ebony and pointed it at Jeremy. "Where is she!"

Before he could pull the trigger or make any further threats, a familiar voice filled the room from above. "Don't you dare harm my son!"

Dante lowered Ebony. He immediately realized the voice was coming from the statue in the middle of the room. "It can't be." For the first time, he took a good long look at the statue.  
The statue's lips didn't move, but it spoke. "Do not harm my son, and I will give back your daughter. She wasn't what I was expecting, but she didn't disappoint me. She was so much more."

For a second, Dante could register only the voice's owner and the statue's identity. "Mundus."

The statue simply responded with a resounding, "Yes."

"Your son?" Dante stared at Jeremy. "All this time, you were using Lilith to get to me. Why take the long route?"

Jeremy shook his head. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"When Lilith was two years old, she had been taken from you. For the past eighteen years, you thought you had killed them all. You missed one."

Dante's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in sudden anger. "You. You were there. That's why you knew to come back."

"Exactly."

"Why put her in danger?"

"Why not?" Mundus asked. "She is of you. That is enough to make her the object of my wrath."

"What about Vergil? You were there when he was born. You were the midwife."

"Exactly."

"You ruined him."

"No less than you did."

Dante sighed once before turning back to Jeremy. "Where is Lilith?"

Jeremy pointed up. "Look for her."

Dante looked up. His eyes veered to the wall. Lilith was crucified to the wall the same way Trish had been the last time Dante and Mundus were in the same room. Blood leaked from her body down into the crevice. Dante felt his heart sink. Obviously, she had received a terrible injury that could not be healed.

"If you want her," Mundus challenged him, "then take her."

Dante looked from Lilith to Vergil as if trying to plot something. Vergil sensed it. "You have a choice," Vergil commented. "Us or her."

"Choose quickly," Jeremy added. "Choose wisely. The decision you make may be your last."

Dante's gaze returned to Lilith in an attempt to meet her eyes. Her eyes were open but blank. She seemed to be in another world. "Let me help you," Mundus said. He raised his hand with the palm facing Lilith. She looked up in time to see a yellow ball of energy form against his palm. Then she was covered in a hot beam of light.

Completely oblivious to the potential consequences, Dante leapt towards the beam of light. Vergil anticipated the move. He jumped across the crevice and slammed into Dante with more force than seemed possible. Vergil flipped over Dante's head as they hit the floor. Vergil rolled to his feet and swung Sparda around. As Dante rolled to his feet, he pulled his own sword free and turned to meet Vergil's swing. The two swords clashed. Vergil watched in shock as Sparda was knocked from his hands. He stared at the sword in Dante's hands.

"What is that? How could that happen?"

"Stupid question," Dante said, "easy answer. Sparda is dead in your hands because it does not acknowledge you. Your hands have tainted its spirit. This sword will cleanse it."

Vergil reached for Sparda, but Dante's sword nearly severed Vergil's fingers to keep his hand away. "That simple sword is no match for Sparda."

"Your ignorance proves your unworthiness. Do you think my father's namesake was his only companion?"

Vergil narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

Dante stepped back and waved the sword under Vergil's chin. Jeremy laughed in the distance. "This is Yamato, the sword my father left for Lilith. When I kill you, it will cleanse everything you fouled with your hands."

"You truly intend to kill me?" Vergil challenged. Jeremy's laugh breached the conversation. Dante was suddenly aware that he was in danger on all sides, but he had no intention of turning his back to Vergil. He slightly turned his head to the side when he heard Lilith screaming. "Go on," Vergil insisted, "but you still have to deal with me."

"That will be easy," Dante answered. "You're more Mundus's son than mine now."  
He didn't stay to see Vergil's reaction. Vergil grabbed Sparda and swung wildly, but Dante was no longer standing there. Vergil looked up to see Dante running up the wall towards the gaping hole where Lilith was once bound. Before he could run after him, Mundus put his hand against the floor to block Vergil's path.

"Let him go," Mundus ordered him. "He will never let any of us roam free unless he's dead."

"Then let me finish it."

"No! Let him go. He will be an easier opponent this way."

(X)

Lilith forced herself to breathe slowly. She lay patiently on her bed as she watched Dante quickly slide a needle through a candle flame. His other hand held the open wound Vergil had inflicted with the contaminated dagger. As was his custom, he had removed his gloves before tending to her.

Dante threaded the needle. "Think happy thoughts," he advised her. She merely rolled her eyes. "I take that as an affirmative." He waited several seconds, as if to catch her off guard, before sliding the needle through the laceration. "Happy thoughts," he reminded her as he finished the first stitch.

"Oh, shut up," she responded.

"Yeah, I love you, too," he answered with a tinge of sarcasm. The needle remained unnaturally warm. Dante knew the heat wasn't from the candle. A few minutes before, Deanna had taken Lilith's body temperature. It registered 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Though her skin was slick with sweat, Dante's hands refused to slip.

Deanna entered the bedroom and kneeled on the other side of the bed. She ran a hand across Lilith's forehead. "I'm not a baby," Lilith whined.

"I know," Deanna said, "but I never took the opportunity to do it when you were." She pulled her hand back and flicked sweat. "We'd better get her into the tub."

"We will," Dante said, "but not before I stop the bleeding."

"Can you do that? After all, you've never had to deal with an injury neither of you couldn't just shrug off."

Dante glanced at Lilith's face. She didn't register what Deanna said. "I can handle it," he finally said. "We've gotten each other through worse. Her heart and spirit will have a tougher time healing than her body."

"You mean Jeremy."

Dante looked at Deanna as if to visually reprimand her for saying it out loud. To make herself useful, Deanna went into Lilith's bathroom and turned on the cold water. She let the tub fill up before she returned to Lilith's side. By then, Dante had finished the stitching. He secured the ends of the stitching and handed Deanna the needle. Then he carried Lilith to the tub and lowered her into the water. She propped her head against the side of the tub and closed her eyes.  
Deanna leaned against the doorpost. She and Dante stared at each other for several seconds before he walked past her.

"You're going back already?" Deanna asked in a desperate bid to make him stop.

He complied, but he did not face her. "If I don't, then Lilith is guaranteed to die."

"But do you have to leave now?"

"If not now, then when?"

Deanna walked around him to confront him. "Don't you think you should spend a little time with her, especially in her condition?"

"I can do that after I cure her."

Deanna opened her mouth to say something else, then sighed in defeat. "What?" Dante asked. "What do you want to say?"

"Nothing." Deanna stormed out of the room. Dante ran after her downstairs. She threw herself onto a couch. Dante sat beside her and placed a hand on her thigh.

"What is it?"

A single tear ran down her cheek. "You're going to say this is all my fault, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Everything that's happened is because I wasn't honest with you from the beginning."

Dante squeezed her thigh only because he knew she was ticklish. "I never said that."

"Not with words." Deanna slapped his hand away. "I could see it in your eyes. There is always that blame."

"It's been only a few days since you returned, if even that. You've always felt I blamed you, ever since the whole incident with Raynok and Kerlak. The only thing I blame you for is leaving. If you'd stayed, things may have been different."

There was a silence before Deanna asked, "You're going to kill him, aren't you?"

Dante knew where she was headed. He stood to leave. "I don't want to talk about it. Let it go and leave it to me."

"You can't kill him."

"I can't or I shouldn't?"

"You shouldn't."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because he's our son!"

The only reason Dante didn't slap her was the fact he was standing and she was still sitting. "He didn't think of that when he tried to kill our daughter!"

"Dante, you don't understand!"

"What's to understand!" Deanna looked away. Dante sighed. "He is not our son. He belongs to someone else now. He did the moment he emerged from your womb." Deanna leaned forward and covered her face with her hands. Dante sat beside her and put an arm around her. "I need you to take care of Lilith while I'm gone. She needs you now, more than ever."

"I know."

"Then I'll see you later." Dante hugged her a little harder than usual. He didn't know why, but he felt a need to do so. When he finally left, Deanna looked at her hands.  
"She needs me. This time, I'll do right by her."

(X)

Lilith shivered in the cold water. It felt like she was sitting naked on ice. She exhaled through her mouth, then sighed deeply. She deliberately opened her eyes slowly so she wouldn't be surprised by her visitor. She knew he was there before she did so.

"I was wondering if you'd stop by."

The visitor kneeled beside the tub. He lifted Lilith's head with one hand and carefully lowered it into the water. After several minutes, he lifted her head. He let her lean against the back of tub. He carefully wiped blood from her eye.

"I guess you have something to say about what's been going on in the past few days," Lilith suggested.

"What's done is done. I believe you've handled it to the best of your ability."

"That doesn't make it all right. He's going to kill him. He's going to kill your grandson."  
Sparda lowered his head a little. "My son has the right idea. People have to face such choices like this. It is life."

"So you believe Vergil should die?"

"It is a battle between you and your brother. Only one of you can be saved. The other must die at the expense of that choice. You know that between the two of you, even in my eyes, you are the more worthy one. Vergil has to die."

"Will you help my father?"

"If he asks for it." Cold water splashed over the side of the tub. Sparda scooped a handful of water and let it drip. "He has fouled what was sacred to me. He destroyed its spirit. It must be cleansed."

"You mean the sword Sparda."

"What else? I left it for Dante. Only he should have his hands on it."

Lilith grinned weakly. "I've had it."

"You're different." Sparda carefully combed her hair with a claw. "You and Dante are what I envisioned. To the world, it is as if I had never left."

Lilith summoned up the courage to ask a daring question. "What about your other son? Did you think of him?"

To her surprise, he did not hesitate. "He was lost to the darkness. It could not be helped. One child of darkness, and one child of light. I had no right to be surprised."

"Child of darkness? Child of light? Did you know you were going to lose Vergil?"

"Yes. Hundreds of years before, a prophecy was given to me, but I did not understand it. Now it doesn't matter." Sparda opened the tub drain. "Everything has turned out the way it must. I have no major regrets." Then he mentioned casually, "The water is too warm."

Lilith did not bother to ask him to elaborate. When the water finished draining, Sparda closed the drain and turned on the cold water. "Is there a chance of saving me?"

Sparda didn't answer. He seemed too focused on the water. He remained completely silent until he turned off the water. "Yes, there is, but your father is looking in the wrong place." Before she could say anything, he immediately responded, "Don't worry. He will find it in time. Just not where he's looking now."


	7. Smiling at Death

Smiling at Death  
  
It was already a few hours before dawn. Dante stood in the middle of the street. He closed his eyes and inhaled the winter air. He tightly gripped the Yamato in anticipation. He inhaled through clenched teeth when the earth moved. In confusion, Dante opened his eyes and glanced around. The quake ended as soon as he did so. A minute wave of warm air brushed past him. In a few seconds, he noticed the air growing warmer. The snow began to melt. As soon as Dante began to move forward, the street was one large puddle.

Another breeze hit him. This time it was searing hot. He saw a growing false dawn straight ahead. He was oblivious to the distant screams as a wall of flame came his way.

(X)

Lilith awoke suddenly as if from a dream. Sparda had disappeared. She heard a faint scraping in her room. She pushed herself out of the bathtub and shuffled into her bedroom. She saw a shadow on the floor blocking the moonlight. She stepped further into the room to get a look at the window. She inhaled sharply when she saw what was sitting outside on the window sill.  
It was about the size of an average human. Its appeared leathery, but when it touched the window, it left a slimy handprint. A pair of wings unfolded from its shoulders. It pressed its face against the window. It had no eyes. Its mouth looked like it was stolen from a lamprey. 

The creature pushed itself against the window. Lilith wasted no time. Ignoring the pain and fatigue, she turned to run. She heard the glass shatter as she headed down the stairs. She jumped over the banister right before the creature lunged after her. Lilith dashed to the living area where one of the swords was on display. She heard a flutter of wings as she ran towards the wall. She launched herself up the side of the wall. As she passed the sword, she kicked out at the sword hilt. She caught the sword in mid-flight, twisted, and swung. Rebellion sliced straight through the creature's head. Lilith felt a stitch pop as she landed. She stopped momentarily to catch her breath.

When she tried to stand, a hand clasped Rebellion while another gently pushed her back to the floor. She saw Sparda walk past her with the sword in hand. She stretched out on the floor and closed her eyes to the sound of the slaughter outside.

(X)

Dante closed his eyes against the flames. He felt them flow over and through him. He heard every building and plant burst into flames around him. He stepped forward through the blaze and opened his eyes. The false dawn had turned the sky a flaming crimson. Dante knew that what he wanted was in the center of that false dawn. 

He ran the Yamato's blade between his thumb and index finger from hilt to tip. In a single mighty leap, he transformed and flew over the burning city. In the center of the false dawn, he saw a large familiar figure. With new determination, he soared towards it as quickly as his wings would allow. He was lifted by drafts from the flames below. He continued on until he found the edge of the false dawn. The brightness was too powerful. He reverted to human form and dropped to the street below.

He covered his face as another hot wind nearly knocked him off the ground. He heard several buildings crumble around him. The brightness faded along with the wind, but the heat remained. Dante dropped his hand just enough to glance up. A large black wolf stood before him. It was big enough to swallow him whole. He looked at the wolf; the wolf looked at him. He jokingly thought he saw a tumbleweed roll in the distance.

The wolf lowered its head to get a better look at him. It pressed its nose against his face. He was nearly knocked over by its breath as it snorted. Dante dropped his hand to his side. The wolf took one step back as if in recognition.

Dante sneered back at the wolf. He felt something warm flow from his eyes. "Don't bother. I'll go through you."

(X)

Vergil stared at the black wolf on the edge of the light boundary. He could not see what interested it so much. Its tail swung from side to side. "What is he doing?" 

"He's doing his job," Mundus said behind him. "He won't last long."

"My father or the wolf?"

"Does it matter?"

Vergil continued staring at the wolf ahead. He watched the wolf move its head to the side. He gasped when he saw the wolf engulfed in a red light that ripped it to shreds. The red light advanced on him. At the lead was what appeared to be a large dragon head. The dragon opened its mouth as it flowed through his body. Severe pain threw him to the ground. The light boundary that produced the false dawn faded away. The wolf's severed head landed beside him with a sickening liquid thud. Its skin and muscle had been partially melted into a gelatinous goo.  
Vergil pushed it aside with the tip of Sparda. He turned on his heel as he stood. Mundus was down on one knee behind him kneeling in a pool of what seemed to be blood. When Mundus stood, more blood spurted from a wound in his side.

"Is this how you looked?" someone asked. Mundus turned to look at Dante. Dante stood with the Yamato in hand. Blood flowed from his eyes. "Is this how you looked when you corrupted my son?"

Vergil twitched when he heard Dante acknowledge him. Mundus pressed his knuckles together. He was dressed all in black. His skin betrayed a faint red tint, as if he were recovering from a minor burn. Long black hair flowed in heat generated wind. "So you finally admit he's yours?"

"What difference does it make? There is someone else I'm more worried about."

"Oh, yes, the girl. What about her?"

"If she dies, I'm sending you after her."

"If she lives?"

"Then I'll kill you anyway."

More blood poured from Dante's eyes. Mundus reached up unconsciously to poke at the blood. Dante brought the Yamato up to rest against Mundus's shoulder. A bolt shot from the sword to Mundus. The demon jumped back as the energy flowed through his body and into the ground. He grabbed his shoulder. "You bastard."

Dante kept the sword pointed at him. "Don't touch me again."

"Brave words, boy."

"You have no idea." Dante and Mundus stared silently at each other. They both heard Vergil suck in air. Mundus dared to turn slightly to the side. Dante took one step back and swung the Yamato towards Mundus's neck. At the same time, Vergil darted forward. The Yamato's swing was instantly blocked by Sparda. Dante deliberately scowled at him. "Get out of the way."

"I can't." Vergil positioned himself between Dante and Mundus as the latter backed away.  
Dante placed the tip of the Yamato against Vergil's neck. He pressed into the flesh until blood began to flow. "Get out of the way, or I will decapitate you."

"Why? To save that whore you call a daughter?"

Dante carved a piece of flesh from Vergil's neck in one quick slice. "Are we taking this personally? You don't honestly expect me to let her die?"

"Why not? A second ago you were ready to kill me yourself." He placed a finger against his wound as if to emphasize the point.

"I can't help you. You were lost the moment you left your mother's womb." Dante pointed his head towards Mundus. "He saw to that."

"And you would leave it at that?"

"So you want to be saved?"

Vergil stopped before he could get the first word out. Mundus took one step forward. Dante was already on the move. Mundus sideswiped Vergil and snatched Sparda. Sparda and Yamato clashed in midair. A bolt of lightning struck the pavement. The lightning shot in every direction through the ankle deep water. The force of the jolt pushed them several yards apart.  
Dante didn't wait for a provocation. He was up and running before Mundus could get his bearings. Mundus twisted at the waist to strike. Dante leaped over him. Yamato swung downward. A lock of black hair flew from Mundus's head. Dante landed on the other side and swung to face him.

Mundus reached for his missing lock of hair. "That was cheap."

"It wasn't intended to be anything else."

The two circled as if they were each hesitant to make the next move. Dante saw, in his peripheral vision, Vergil reach for something shiny. Knowing intuitively that it was something sharp, he pulled a dagger from behind his back with his free hand and launched it. It pierced Vergil's hand. The poisoned knife he held flew free and landed in the water. Simultaneously, Mundus attempted to slash through Dante's torso. Dante took a short jump back just far enough to step out of range. Mundus tried the same move for Dante's face. Dante ducked and sidestepped. Seeing a short lived opportunity, he plunged Yamato between two of Mundus's ribs. Mundus allowed himself a short grunt before pulling himself off the blade.

"Curse this form," he muttered. He quickly considered swinging Sparda again, but Dante was well beyond its reach. He threw the sword instead. Dante easily knocked it from the air. Mundus grimaced. "I don't need it anyway."

Dante tossed Yamato in the opposite direction. It landed with its blade stuck in the asphalt. Dante let Mundus move a split second before he did. They both vaulted into the air. Mundus morphed into a demonic form. His foot connected with Dante's chest. Dante's lungs collapsed as he flew backwards. He landed in half a foot of water several feet away. He lifted his head just enough to break the surface of the water. He spat up blood, then painstakingly drew in a fresh breath before falling back into the water.

Mundus hovered above. He allowed himself to chuckle as Dante lay prone in the flooded street. He wasn't foolish enough to think Dante wouldn't get back up. He lowered slowly to the ground and waited.

Dante forced his lungs to expand and strengthen. When he was sure, he slowly sat up. He glanced up at Mundus and spat out a stream of water. Mundus let half of his mouth twist upwards in a grin. Dante rolled to his knees to stand.

"You know," Mundus said in a deepened voice, "I remember your last little foray against me. I promised you that I would return, and your advice was to give my regards to your son. And I did."

"Fuck you," Dante muttered.

"No," Mundus responded while glowering at Vergil, "but I like the woman you did." He ignored Dante's sneer. "She was quite desperate when I found her. Her water had broken moments before, and she had no one to help her. She delivered right there in the snow. Where were you when I held your newborn son in my arms?"

"I never knew." Dante shook his head.

"Of course not. I remember the day I held my own son. Your father was still one of my gophers then. I held Koromos, now Jeremy, up for all the world to see. Then I killed his mother and fed him her flesh. What did you do when your daughter was born?"

"I didn't feed her her mother's flesh."

"Of course not," Mundus repeated. "That would have made her too much like me."

"What's your point?"

Mundus chuckled again. "I set Jeremy onto the Earth the same day your daughter was born. His job was to corrupt her for my purposes. Unfortunately, I had to erase his memory, and your father kept getting in the way, one way or another. In the end, she just had to die."

"Not if I have anything to do with it."

"Forever the devoted father. Well, so am I."

Dante was prepared for the next lunge. He spun and sidestepped as Mundus flew past him. He hit his devil trigger and wrapped an arm around Mundus's neck before Mundus could get too far away. He felt the vertebrae snap several times before Mundus forced him away. Mundus stopped and cracked his neck. Before he could turn around, Dante's foot slammed into his lower back. Mundus stopped himself from falling to his knees. Instead, he regained his balance and turned to face Dante.

"Now, it's personal."

(X)

Vergil held his hand up to stare at the blade sticking from the back of his hand. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. He completely ignored Mundus and Dante fighting above his head. He placed the knife handle between his teeth and slowly pulled it free. He tossed it into the water and retrieved the poisoned dagger. He glimpsed up to see two winged demons fighting amid streams of flame. He quickly scanned the water until he saw Sparda in the water. It's bright flaming red color had become a cold purple, almost blue. He picked it up and ran farther into the city as if to escape the fight above. 

(X)

Sparda fell to his knees as a spasm racked his chest. The final demon fell to the ground seconds later without its head. Sparda knew what was causing the pain. "The sword. It's dying." He forced himself to stand and turned back to the house. Rebellion left a trail in the dirt as he dragged it. When he entered the house, he saw Lilith still on the floor. She was sitting up so Guess could lay his head in her lap. The dog was sound asleep. 

"I see you're still alive," he said as he placed Rebellion back onto the wall.

"For now. I feel like I'm being eaten alive."

"You should be back in the tub."

"Why? It will do me no good. It merely delays the inevitable."

"That remains to be seen." Before he had the opportunity to sit and relax, there was a knock at the door. Lilith didn't bother to move. Sparda took it upon himself to answer it. He showed no surprise when he saw Jeremy on the other side.

Jeremy revealed instant recognition. "You're still among us, in one way or another."

"Koromos." Jeremy attempted to walk past him, but Sparda slapped his palm into Jeremy's chest. "There is no way I'll let you get to her."

"Move aside old man." Jeremy slipped past him and was instantly standing before Lilith. "Long time, no see. My offer still stands, if you want it."

"Why?" Lilith panted. She signaled to Sparda to remain where he was.

"If you say yes, then maybe I can convince my father to save you."

"What about my father? I refuse to adulterate my gene pool with yours."

"Ouch." He reached down to grab her throat. Guess awoke and, on instinct alone, clamped his teeth around Jeremy's wrist. Lilith mustered enough strength to hit her devil trigger and seized Jeremy by his hair. An arm spike punctured his neck. He pushed the dog away and tried to stand. Lilith pulled the spike free and plunged it repeatedly into Jeremy's neck. When she began to weaken, Sparda grabbed Jeremy and forced him against the floor. Then Sparda let Lilith hack away to her heart's content. When she was finally overcome by fatigue, she reverted to human form and fell over. She was shining with sweat.

Sparda quickly pulled Jeremy up. Before Jeremy could begin healing, Sparda dragged him along the floor. Sparda realized Jeremy had contracted the poison through Lilith's spike. "You reap what you sow," he commented to Jeremy as he pulled him into the back yard. "My work is never done."

"Grandpa!" Lilith called.

(X)

An explosion of light and heat knocked Dante from the air. He righted himself in time to land on his feet. Before he could think, he leapt back. Mundus plunged to the ground like a torpedo. His fists landed where Dante had stood moments before. Asphalt and water flew in all directions. Dante landed next to the Yamato. He pulled it free. Mundus straightened and searched for Sparda where it had fallen. He was vexed to see it was missing. "Damn that boy!" 

Mundus turned to catch Dante in mid punch. He blocked it successfully, so Dante resorted to kicking him in the belly. Mundus doubled over only a few inches. Dante kicked out to trip Mundus. As Mundus fell, he brought the Yamato around to plunge it into Mundus's chest. Mundus rolled to safety and splashed a handful of water towards his adversary. Mundus threw several punches and kicks in succession. Each one was blocked by the Yamato. One final kick knocked the Yamato free. Mundus gripped Dante's neck and lifted him from the ground.

"This is the final act boy!" Mundus screamed. "One way or another, I will finish you off." 

"Not today you won't."

Mundus laughed. "If you do not die by my hand, you will still die."

Dante expelled some air. "Not today," he repeated. He smashed his palm into Mundus's nose, then kicked Mundus in the belly again. Mundus dropped him but would not give him space. He punched Dante in the chest, and Dante responded with his own punch. In a flash of black light, Dante disappeared before Mundus's eyes. Seconds later, he felt something punch his back. He turned in every direction, but could not see what was attacking him. There were splashes of water everywhere, but he could not tell what was causing them.

Then he felt something slice through his left shoulder. He grabbed his left arm, then felt it slide through his hand. He gawked at his arm as it fell to the ground. A large splash of water erupted several feet away. Dante materialized in the middle of the eruption with the Yamato in hand.

"Well, I can play dirty, too." Mundus held his head back and screamed. His face split in half. The split stretched all the way down. Two separate halves fell to the ground. Three familiar red spheres flew into the air. Above, they merged into one large sphere and plummeted to the ground. Where it fell, a large four legged creature emerged. It had a spiked tail that smashed what remained of the buildings around it. Its head appeared too large for its body. An elongated mouth lowered to the ground.

"Okay," Dante commented. "This is a fresh change of pace." He tapped the Yamato against his foot as he contemplated his first move.

Mundus widened his eyes in awe as he watched something red flow from Dante's eyes. "What the hell is that?"

Dante took a step back as if in preparation for something. "Ask my father."

The reference enraged Mundus. "I am not amused." He raised his head and stomped both front feet. The ground heaved under their feet. The water drained through large fissures as the asphalt broke loose. A second stomp sent chunks of ground into the air. Dante maintained his footing as his own little chunk of ground was thrown upwards. In a final surge of power he had only witnessed in his daughter until that moment, he hit his devil trigger with the power of Sparda's Sorrow.


	8. Unwanted Choices

Unwanted Choices

Dante felt himself engulfed in a fire that didn't burn. Wings with jagged metallic edges burst from his back. His hair grew down to his knees; the tips whipped out and around as if they were alive. Shards of bone poked through his elbows and knees. He wore a helmet of some demonic creature's skull with two sets of horns. The skull's second set of horns curled down around his pointed ears. His wings made a shrill whistle as he slowly flapped them to remain airborne.

Mundus raised his head. Dante slowly exhaled through his teeth to match the whistle of his wings. His hair lifted itself around his head and shoulders as if in anticipation. Showing no fear, Mundus pulled himself up.

"Do not think this frightens me, boy." Dante's only response was a low hissing. His hair snapped like whips.

"I will crush you!" Mundus lunged forward. Dante's hair stretched over his shoulders. Dante met him halfway and landed on Mundus's nose. The snapping hair plunged into Mundus's right eye. Mundus roared as the strands of hair worked faster and deeper into the eye until they managed to finally pierce the brain. Mundus shook his head all around, but Dante remained perched where he was. When maximum damage was done, Mundus finally threw Dante off with a shake. The hair retracted as Dante pushed himself back. The hair snapped to flick blood away.

Mundus lowered his head to the ground again. His body shrunk back to its human shape and size. He looked up to where Dante continued to hover. A thick stream of blood and gelatinous fluid spilled freely from where his eye used to be. "I can do that, too."

Dante continued whistling. Mundus hunched his back. A large pair of wings materialized from his shoulders. With one hefty flap, he shot into the air towards Dante. Dante quickly floated aside and straightened his wings. The metallic edge slashed across Mundus's side. Mundus turned in midair. He spread his hands and scream. A sphere of black light blotted out the sun behind him. A vortex of wind pulled against everything in the area. "The first to falter shall perish here."

(X)

Lilith rubbed Guess behind his ears as she waited. The screams in the yard soon faded into the distance. Sparda returned and wiped his hands. He threw a bloody towel across the couch.

"What did you do to him?" Lilith said between gasps.

"Only what he deserved. He betrayed you."

"He was loyal to his father."

"That was reason enough. Who his father is, not that he was loyal."

"What was his real name?"

"Koromos. After he was named, Mundus killed the boy's mother and fed her to him. He might not even remember."

Lilith took one long breath. "Would you have done that to your own sons, if you were still a minion of Mundus?"

"Absolutely, and Dante would have done the same for you. Consider yourself fortunate."

"I do consider myself fortunate," Deanna said from around the corner. She walked into the living room. She held a dagger in her right hand. "However, it won't save me from being sacrificed anyway." Deanna kneeled beside Lilith and took her hand. "You will tell your father I am sorry."

"I don't understand." Lilith looked to her grandfather, but Sparda did not move. Lilith returned her gaze to her mother.

"Let me tell you a story," Deanna said. "Years ago, before you were born, when I was empress of Shangri-La. My land was invaded by a legion of nocturnal demons. One of them managed to possess one of my people, and that is how it all began."

"What began?" Lilith sat perfectly still as she absorbed Deanna's story.

"My people have a special power. Only those of us who were trained to be healers and shaman were allowed to use it, though everyone had the potential. When someone was ill, by letting the blood flow from the skin, we could absorb the ailment into our own bodies. Then we would heal ourselves." She ran the blade across Lilith's hand. "Unfortunately, the shaman who used this ability merely allowed himself to be possessed by this demon, while the patient remained ill. It eventually spread like a plague until nearly everyone was infected with possession. That was why I sent someone to Earth to bring Dante to take care of our problem."

"Let me guess," Lilith said. "Lineia was the one who was doing it all behind the scenes."

"Obviously. She was there, and I never noticed her."

"What are you thinking of doing?" Lilith felt she already knew.

"I'm going to save you." She lifted the dagger and pressed it into Lilith's palm.

"You can't." Lilith tried to struggle, but Deanna had a strong grip, and the poison had become too powerful. Lilith looked to Sparda. "Grandpa, stop her!"

Sparda simply shook his head. "It has to happen," Deanna said. Lilith winced as the blade breached her skin. The blood welled up from the wound. Lilith tried one final tug. Sparda grabbed her from behind and held her immobile as Deanna lowered her tongue into the blood.

(X)

Dante's wings kept him steady as the vortex pulled at him. Mundus threw trails of flame at him. It did nothing. Dante absorbed each one and rolled them into one large ball of flame. Mundus emitted flashes of light within his fists. With a scream of rage, he released a great blast of light.

With a sheer thought, the blast was deflected around him. As soon as it cleared, Dante released the ball of flame. It tore through Mundus's chest without tearing the flesh. Before Mundus could recover, Dante slammed into him. Dante stopped short quickly enough to avoid being caught in the vortex. Mundus stopped short of being pulled in, then launched himself towards Dante.

In the blink of an eye, Dante disappeared. Enraged, Mundus flew after every afterimage that remotely looked like Dante. In a single instant when he heard Dante laugh, he turned in the air. Sharp strands of platinum blond hair bore into his left eye. Mundus roared and swung himself in every direction in an attempt to shake the hair loose. Dante moved back and forth to continue drilling into the eye. He pushed further into the wound until the hair exploded from the back of Mundus's head. Blood and brain matter were ejected from the wound.

Dante pulled the hair back as Mundus fell to the ground in a fit of blinded pain. Dante stretched his arms. Extra shards of bone slid from behind his wrists and elbows. Dante raised his arms and flung them down towards Mundus. The bone shards were ejected with the speed of bullets. All but one penetrated Mundus's torso and were embedded into the asphalt beneath him. The other one went through his forehead. Dante folded his wings and landed upright on Mundus's torso.

Mundus spat blood as he cursed. He reached up with one hand. "I will not fall. I will not let you win!" He seized Dante's coat. With a single wave of a wing, Mundus's hand was severed and fell away. "You!"

Dante stepped aside and lifted Mundus by the neck. He wrapped his arms around Mundus's throat. In one swift move, the vertebrae snapped. Dante continued pulling on the head until Mundus's neck was just mush. He heard Mundus breathe laboriously. He flew upwards and carried Mundus towards the vortex. With a simple push, Mundus flew into the vortex. The aerial whirlpool sucked him in greedily before exploding. The energy released knocked every loose thing to the ground if it were not already toppled over.

Dante reverted to human form. He dropped to one knee when he hit the ground to recover from the effort. "One down, one to go."

(X)

Vergil leaned against the building to catch his breath. He felt Mundus's death cry ring out throughout his entire body. He knew it was only a matter of time before Dante found him. "It doesn't matter," Vergil said aloud. "He'll never save Lilith."

He slowed down his trek through the city. Now that Mundus was no longer in the picture, his own body was beginning to weaken. He had been under Mundus's influence since he was born, and now it was gone.

He stopped completely to catch his breath. A whistling shadow from above caught his attention, but he didn't need to look up to know whom it was. Dante dropped behind him and walked around to face him. "Don't bother," Vergil said. "There is no point."

Dante raised the Yamato to Vergil's chin. "Not if I can help it."

Vergil stepped back from the sword. Sparda hung limply from his hand. "Why? You can't save Lilith, and I know you intend to kill me. Where will that leave you?"

Dante lowered the Yamato. "It doesn't matter. Either way, I cannot let you live."

Vergil sighed. He trudged past Dante. Dante turned to watch him leave, then decided to act. "Vergil!" Vergil stopped and turned to face him. Father and son stared at each other, as if to dare the other to speak first. "What do you want?" Dante finally asked.

"Do you really want to know? What difference will it make? You condemned me the moment my mother brought me to you."

"What is it that you want?"

"The one thing you refuse to give me."

"Which is?"

"I want you to be my father."

Dante shook his head. "I can't do that."

"Why? Because I laid down a death sentence on my own sister? It couldn't be avoided. She shouldn't have fought me."

"That's no excuse."

"Why? Because you raised her? That means nothing. What makes her so much better than me?"  
Dante didn't hesitate. "She wasn't corrupted by Mundus. I was the first to hold her. Second if you count the doctor."

Vergil grimaced. "I suppose neither of us can do anything about that." Vergil's free hand held up a glistening dagger. "This is the dagger that poisoned her. This is what is killing her, and shall do so forever. What are you going to do about it?"

"Let's find out."

Vergil held the dagger as if wondering what to do. Then he flung it towards Dante. Dante caught it by the handle and flung it back. Vergil winced once before realizing the dagger had punctured his heart. "Oh shit," was all he could mutter before he fell over. Dante quickly straddled Vergil's chest and pushed the dagger all the way through. Then he ripped it free.

Vergil screamed until his lungs gave out. Dante held Vergil's head up with his free hand. "It has to end. I'm sorry, my son." Before Vergil could respond, and before Dante could think about it, Dante plunged the dagger into the side of Vergil's neck.

"Father," was the last Vergil said. Poisoned blood spurted from Vergil's mouth. He grabbed Dante's coat collar as if to pull himself up. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then gave up. He closed his eyes and fell back. Dante slowly pulled the dagger free as he felt Vergil's life ebb away. His hand became numb. The poisoned dagger fell from his hand.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. He stood and vomited in the street. When his head stopped spinning, he took the Yamato in one hand. In the other he took Sparda from Vergil's dead hand. He placed Sparda on the ground. He held the Yamato above his head. "Take it all away," he said aloud. "Make it what it once was."

Dante inhaled deeply. Then he brought the Yamato hard against Sparda. A wave of energy blew out in all directions. Dante felt the life return to the sword. Its cold blue hue faded away to be replaced by its familiar flaming red. Dante picked it up and began his trip home. He avoided looking at Vergil as he did so. He was glad the ordeal was over, but he knew he had still lost the battle.

(X)

Dante closed the car door and walked into the yard. The lawn was littered with demon corpses. He kicked one aside as he approached a crucifix. He did not hide his amusement from the one who suffered on it.

"Jeremy," Dante chided. "I see you're still hanging around."

Jeremy tried to lean forward and nearly crushed his diaphragm in the process. Dante laughed. "Consider yourself fortunate. I had worse planned for you." Dante continued on past him. Jeremy did not have the strength to breathe. He stayed on the crucifix until he finally suffocated under his own body weight.

Dante neared the door and found it was slightly ajar. He shoved it open with a foot and stepped inside. He did not see what he was expecting. Lilith and Sparda were leaning over the coffee table playing Magic: The Gathering. They both looked up from their battle. Sparda ran to Dante and took his namesake.

"May I be frank, son?" Sparda asked.

"Knock yourself out," Dante responded.

"You look like hell." Sparda gave Dante a fatherly slap on the shoulder. "There's someone you're probably anxious to see." He moved aside so Dante could get a clear view of Lilith. She stood and met him halfway.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you all right?"

"I feel fine."

"I mean emotionally."

"You're alive. That's all that matters." Dante realized what he said. He pulled back from Lilith's embrace. "How?"

Lilith knew what he was referring to. She raised her hand. "My mother. She cut my hand."

"What!"

"Grandpa held me down while she sucked the poison from my body."

Dante glared at his father. "How could you!"

"You told Deanna to protect Lilith," Sparda answered, "and she did. You walked into this house expecting to see Lilith dead. What did you think when you saw she was not?"

Dante dropped the Yamato and ran upstairs. Sparda picked up the sword. "You didn't honestly count on him taking the news easily, did you?" Lilith asked.

"Of course not! You must realize it was a lose-lose situation. There was no possible way everyone would escape unscathed."

Lilith slowly nodded. She knew her grandfather spoke the truth. She sighed and ran a hand through her platinum blonde hair as she slowly began to climb the stairs.

(X)

Dante stood outside his bedroom. He carefully pushed the door opened. Deanna was fast asleep on the bed. He walked to her side and sat on the edge of the bed. He ran his fingers across bare skin. She was extremely hot and covered in sweat.

Her eyes fluttered open at his touch. "Dante. You made it."

"What did you think you were doing?"

Deanna snapped to attention. She could feel her brain frying from the fever. "What?"

Dante placed a bare hand against the side of her head. "Why did you do it?"

"If I didn't, what would you have done?" Dante looked away in frustration. Deanna touched his hand. "I should be dead anyway. At least, this time, I can die with dignity, and for a good cause."  
Dante felt his eyes burning, but not from blood. "This isn't right."

"Dante, stop it." Deanna's voice was weak and raspy. "It has to be this way. Lilith is alive and well, and I'll get to see Vergil. I want to apologize for what I did to him. I am just as guilty as Mundus. I took him away from you. I didn't let him be a child. I brought him here, but it was too late. I'm sorry."

"So am I. I forgive you if you forgive me."

"Consider it done." By then, Deanna's voice was a whisper. She mustered the last of her strength to touch his face, but her arm stopped short. Her arm fell limply to the side. Dante placed her arm across her chest. He leaned closely to her so that their faces nearly touched. Deanna sensed his hesitation. "Don't worry. It's not contagious."

Dante sucked air as he continued to hesitate. He felt Deanna's breath become weak. He closed the gap to plant a kiss on her lips. She kissed back for a second, then fell completely still. Dante felt her breath cease. He waited a while before he placed his face against her neck to cry.

Lilith watched from the doorway. She sat beside Dante and let her head rest against his shoulder. "It will get better. Not today. Not tomorrow. Maybe not for a few years." Dante didn't respond, but she knew he was thinking about it. She sat up and stood to leave. "You know where to find me."

"I know," Dante called in a muffled voice. He waited until Lilith left the room before lifting his head. "You did the right thing," he said to Deanna's body. "As long as she lives, then so shall we both."


End file.
